# US 10,870,092 B2 · Apparatus including rotor and stator having teeth with surfaces of a parabolic profile and method for enhancing phase contact and chemical reactions

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- Number: US 10,870,092 B2
- Document ID: US10870092B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/483,555
- Filed: 2018-02-12
- Published: 2020-05-07
- Granted: 2020-12-22
- Earliest claimed: 2017-02-10
- Assignees: Bob Service Srl
- Applicants: BOB SERVICE Srl
- Inventors: Giuliano Cavaglia'
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10870092B2

## CPC

- B01F 27/2722: {provided with ribs, ridges or grooves on one surface}
- B01J 8/0045: {by means of a rotary device in the flow channel}
- A23B 2/103: {using sub- or super-atmospheric pressures, or pressure variations transmitted by a liquid or gas}
- A23B 11/10: Preservation of milk or milk preparations
- B01D 11/0226: {with the general transport direction of the solids parallel to the rotation axis of the conveyor, e.g. worm}
- B01D 11/0257: {using mixing mechanisms, e.g. stirrers, jets (B01D11/0242 takes precedence)}
- B01F 27/191: with similar elements
- B01J 8/10: moved by stirrers or by rotary drums or rotary receptacles {or endless belts}
- B01J 19/0066: {Stirrers (mixing per se B01F)}
- B01J 19/008: {Processes for carrying out reactions under cavitation conditions}
- B01J 19/1806: {resulting in a turbulent flow of the reactants, such as in centrifugal-type reactors, or having a high Reynolds-number}
- B01J 19/1818: {in series}
- A23V 2002/00: Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
- B01D 2011/002: {Counter-current extraction}
- B01F 2101/2204: {Mixing chemical components in generals in order to improve chemical treatment or reactions, independently from the specific application}
- B01F 2215/0427: Numerical distance values, e.g. separation, position
- B01F 2215/0431: Numerical size values, e.g. diameter of a hole or conduit, area, volume, length, width, or ratios thereof
- B01F 2215/0459: Numerical values of dimensionless numbers, i.e. Re, Pr, Nu, transfer coefficients
- B01F 2215/0481: Numerical speed values
- B01J 2219/00765: Baffles attached to the reactor wall
- B01J 2219/00779: Baffles attached to the stirring means
- B01F: MIXING, e.g. DISSOLVING, EMULSIFYING OR DISPERSING (mixing paints B44D3/06)
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS
- A23B: PRESERVATION OF FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES; CHEMICAL RIPENING OF FRUIT OR VEGETABLES
- B01D: SEPARATION (separating solids from solids by wet methods B03B, B03D; by pneumatic jigs or tables B03B; by other dry methods B07; magnetic or electrostatic separation of solid materials from solid materials or fluids, separation by high-voltage electric fields B03C; centrifuges, vortex apparatus B04; presses per se for squeezing-out liquid from liquid-containing material B30B9/02; treatment of water C02F, e.g. softening by ion-exchange C02F1/42; {arrangements of air intake cleaners in gas turbine plants F02C7/05} ; arrangements or mounting of filters in air-conditioning, air-humidification or ventilation F24F13/28)
- A23V: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND LACTIC OR PROPIONIC ACID BACTERIA USED IN FOODSTUFFS OR FOOD PREPARATION

## Abstract

An apparatus for enhancing phase contact and chemical reactions is provided. The apparatus comprises at least one high-turbulence mixing stage and at least one high-shear-stress and high-cavitation stage. The stages are adapted to cause an increase in relative sliding speeds of phases involved in a multiphase flow passing through the stages. The high-shear-stress and high-cavitation stage comprises a rotor having radial teeth housed in a cavitation chamber surrounded by a stator having radial teeth. The facing surfaces of the radial teeth have a parabolic profile in circumferential direction. For each tooth, the parabolic profile lies along a curve of a parabola of which a vertex is arranged at a rear edge of the tooth, with respect to a direction of rotation of the rotor, and along a radius extending from the rear edge to a center of the rotor. The focus of the parabola is also located on the radius.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus (11) for enhancing phase contact and chemical reactions, comprising:
at least one first high-turbulence mixing stage (13);
at least one second high-shear-stress and high-cavitation stage (15);
said stages (13, 15) being adapted to cause an increase in relative sliding speeds of phases involved in a multiphase flow passing through said stages (13, 15),
wherein said at least one first high-turbulence mixing stage (13) comprises a rotor (17) rotatable within a mixing chamber (19) surrounded by a stator (21), and wherein the rotor (17) comprises at least one radial pin (23) integral with said rotor (17),
wherein said at least one radial pin (23) radially extends from an axis of rotation of a shaft (39) of the rotor (17) over such a length that a diameter of an external circumference described by the at least one radial pin (23) is in a range of 0.3 to 0.9×D, D being a diameter of the mixing chamber (19),
wherein said at least one first high-turbulence mixing stage (13) is adapted to subject the multiphase flow to a high-turbulence regimen with Reynolds number Re>500,000 and said at least one second high-shear-stress and high-cavitation stage (15) is adapted to subject the multiphase flow to a cavitation regimen characterized by a cavitation number σ<1, where σ=2(pr−pv)/((p)(v2)), pr is reference pressure in pascal, pv is fluid vapor pressure in pascal, p is fluid density in kg/m3, and v is speed of the flow of the fluid in m/sec,
wherein said at least one second high-shear-stress and high-cavitation stage (15) comprises a rotor (25) provided with radial teeth (27) and housed in a cavitation chamber (29) surrounded by a stator (31) provided with radial teeth (33),
wherein facing surfaces (35, 37) of the radial teeth (27) of the rotor (25) and the radial teeth (33) of the stator (31) have a parabolic profile in circumferential direction,
wherein the parabolic profile of each tooth of said radial teeth (27) of the rotor (25) lies along a curve of a parabola (Pr) of which a vertex (Vr) is arranged at a rear edge (27b) of the tooth (27), with respect to a direction of rotation (F1) of the rotor (25), and along a radius (Rr) connecting said rear edge (27b) to a centre (Cr) of the rotor (25), a focus of the parabola (Pr) being also located on said radius (Rr), and
wherein the parabolic profile of each tooth of said radial teeth (33) of the stator (31) lies along a curve of a parabola (Ps) of which a vertex (Vs) is arranged at a rear edge (33b) of the tooth (33), with respect to the direction of rotation (F1) of the rotor (25), and along a radius (Rs) connecting said rear edge (33b) to the centre (Cs) of the stator (31), a focus of the parabola (Ps) being also located on said radius (Rs).

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of said first high-turbulence mixing stages (13) and a plurality of said second high-shear-stress and high-cavitation stages (15), said stages (13, 15) being arranged in series and alternated with each other, so that the multiphase flow passes through each of said stages (13, 15), wherein the at least one radial pin (23) of each first high-turbulence mixing stage (13) and the rotor (25) of each second high-shear-stress and high-cavitation stage (15) are integral with the shaft (39).

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least two said pins (23) are associated with a same high-turbulence mixing stage (13) and are arranged on a same plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the shaft (39) or on parallel planes perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the shaft (39).

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the at least one first high-turbulence mixing stage (13) comprises injection nozzles (49a, 49b) adapted to inject a flow of a substance or a mixture of substances into the mixing chamber (19).

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the parabolic profile of the radial teeth (33) of the stator (31) is identical to and a mirror image of the parabolic profile of the radial teeth (27) of the rotor (25).

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the equation of the parabola of the parabolic profile of the radial teeth (27) of the rotor (25) or of the radial teeth (33) of the stator (31) is Y=0.0062974 X2.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a gap (51) is provided between the radial teeth (27) of the rotor (25) and the radial teeth (33) of the stator (31), which gap is minimum at the rear edges (27b, 33b) of the radial teeth (27) of the rotor (25) and the radial teeth (33) of the stator (31) when said rear edges are substantially aligned along corresponding radiuses (Rr, Rs) of the rotor (25) and the stator (31).

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotor (25) of the at least one second high-shear-stress and high-cavitation stage (15) has a diameter ranging from 50 to 500 mm and an axial length ranging from about 0.05 to 2.5 times the diameter of the rotor (25), and wherein a minimum gap between the radial teeth (27) of the rotor (25) and the radial teeth (33) of the stator (31) ranges from about 0.2 to 5.0 mm.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the diameter of the rotor (25) of the at least one second high-shear-stress and high-cavitation stage (15) is 100 to 300 mm.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the axial length of the rotor (25) of the at least one second high-shear-stress and high-cavitation stage (15) is 0.1 to 1.0 times the diameter of the rotor (25).

### Claim 11 (depends on 8)

The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the minimum gap between the radial teeth (27) of the rotor (25) and the radial teeth (33) of the stator (31) ranges from 0.5 to 2.5 mm.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the diameter (D) of the mixing chamber (19) and a diameter of the cavitation chamber (29) range from about 50 to 500 mm, and wherein an axial length of the at least one first high-turbulence mixing stage (13) ranges from about 0.1 to 2.5 times the diameter (D) of the mixing chamber (19).

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the diameter (D) of the mixing chamber (19) and the diameter of the cavitation chamber (29) range from 100 to 300 mm.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the axial length of the at least one first high-turbulence mixing stage (13) ranges from 0.25 to 1.5 times the diameter (D) of the mixing chamber (19).

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a rotation speed of the rotor (17) of the at least one first high-turbulence mixing stage (13) ranges from 1000 to 3000 rpm.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1 operating in countercurrent mode, wherein the at least one first high-turbulence mixing stage (13) comprises:
a first high-turbulence mixing stage having a first port (165) for inlet of a first substance which is in a first physical state and a second port (167) for outlet of a second substance which is in a second physical state, and
a second high-turbulence mixing stage having a first port (173) for inlet of a substance which is in said second physical state and a second port (175) for outlet of a substance which is in said first physical state.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The apparatus according to claim 1 operating in equicurrent mode, wherein the at least one first high-turbulence mixing stage (13) comprises:
a first high-turbulence mixing stage having a first port (165) for inlet of a first substance which is in a first physical state and a second port (167) for inlet of a second substance which is in a second physical state, and a second high-turbulence mixing stage having a first port (173) for outlet of a substance which is in said second physical state and a second port (175) for outlet of a substance which is in said first physical state.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

A method for enhancing phase contact and chemical reactions, comprising the steps of:
providing the apparatus according to claim 1; and
subjecting in the apparatus a multiphase flow to the at least one first high-turbulence mixing stage (13) and to the at least one second high-shear-stress and high-cavitation stage (15), said stages (13, 15) being adapted to cause an increase in relative sliding speeds of phases involved in the multiphase flow passing through said stages (13, 15).

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method according to claim 18, wherein said multiphase flow is obtained by feeding substances of different phases in countercurrent mode through said stages (13, 15).